Bon Secour Watershed

In 2015, the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program contracted Volkert, Inc., along with subconsultants Louis Berger and Allen Engineering and Science, to prepare a comprehensive Watershed Management Plan (WMP) for three interconnected watersheds in southern Alabama—Bon Secour River, Oyster Bay, and Skunk Bayou. The three watersheds lie adjacent to one another, are located in southwestern Baldwin County, make up the coastline of Bon Secour Bay (located in southeastern Mobile Bay) from the mouth of Weeks Bay to the tip of the Fort Morgan Peninsula, and collectively encompass a total of 43,670 acres.

Purpose of Watershed Management Plan
The purpose of this WMP is to guide watershed resource managers, policy makers, community organizations, and citizens in protecting the hydrological, biological, and cultural integrity of the Bon Secour River, Oyster Bay, and Skunk Bayou watersheds to ensure that these resources are preserved for future generations. Every action that occurs within a watershed has an effect on its receiving waterbodies, and everyone who lives in a watershed plays a role in protecting and sustaining those waterbodies. To achieve this purpose, the WMP documents current conditions within the watershed, evaluates potential management measures to improve impaired conditions and create healthier watersheds, and recommends a prioritized list of actions to improve water quality, ecological integrity, and, by extension, the quality of life for all inhabitants of the watersheds.